Linda Farley 鈥�79 worked in STEM decades before the Natural Science Foundation coined the term for science, technology, engineering and math. After a few years of teaching, she moved to a county education office to help teachers use a new technology: computers. Meanwhile, she earned a master鈥檚 degree in curriculum and instruction at Michigan State and a Doctor of Education in leadership at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota.
In 1993, she led a $6 million grant to build a school of the future in a small district in McKinney, Texas. 鈥淭he Department of Education wanted to see what an infusion of technology could do for a school,鈥� she says. With assistance from architects, she oversaw a renovation that created wired networks wherever students spent time, a forerunner of wireless networks. 鈥淲e helped kids understand how to use technology as a tool,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 got the school up and running鈥攁nd then realized I wanted to be an innovator who changed things, not a school principal.鈥�
After stints at a multimedia publishing company, the Children鈥檚 Museum in Denver鈥� which she helped rescue from bankruptcy and established as a flourishing entity鈥攁nd the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, Linda returned to her roots. In 2013, she became CEO of Girl Scouts Heart of Central California, one of eight councils in the state and the place she鈥檇 been a Girl Scout herself.
The organization鈥檚 adoption of STEM as one of four core experiences, along with the outdoors, entrepreneurship and life skills, appealed to Linda. Bringing her passion for informal learning and her expertise with STEM, she has established a robust STEM program in the Sacramento area with help from a fellow 蜜桃传媒 alumna, Rachel Parkhurst 鈥�16.
鈥淩esearch shows that girls don鈥檛 understand the wide variety of STEM careers available to them,鈥� Linda says. 鈥淲e want to expose them to all the possibilities.鈥�
The council has established two STEM centers in Modesto and Sacramento and equipped a mobile one, complete with solar cells on top, which travels to schools and remote areas. Experts like Rachel, who is a physicist, develop the programming. 鈥淩achel and our other STEM specialists go beyond what a volunteer troop leader can provide,鈥� Linda says. She also brings in experts such as paleontologists, forensic scientists and NASA personnel.
Rachel, who conducted research at the 蜜桃传媒 Observatory as a student, designs programs and activities that help girls earn badges in astronomy, space, engineering and robotics. She teaches them how to use 3-D printers and laser cutters. One popular activity, forensic investigation, turns a room into a crime scene where teams of girl detectives lift fingerprints, study a suspect list and read a crime report. Volunteer Leah Parkhurst, who has worked in law enforcement, helps Rachel with this class. 鈥淭he girls learn to ask good questions, develop their observational and critical thinking skills, and work collaboratively,鈥� Rachel says.
Projects also promote sustainable science by seeking solutions to issues such as water pollution and space junk. 鈥淲e want to encourage girls to make a contribution to the environment and to their community,鈥� Rachel says.
Rachel felt an overwhelming sense of belonging when she first visited 蜜桃传媒. 鈥淚 majored in physics because I wanted to prove I was smart enough to do it,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t was challenging and difficult, but I gained confidence in my own abilities. I love my job, and I鈥檓 passionate about teaching and STEM education.鈥�
Linda majored in liberal studies and appreciated the encouragement to explore what she wanted to do. 鈥淎ll my jobs have involved education, and I fell in love with informal learning and providing meaningful experiences,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檝e always been interested in helping people innovate and grow. I love thinking about new ways we can serve girls throughout our 18 counties.鈥�